Going South
by namelessjen
Summary: After finding out about Mexico, Mandy comes home to try and figure out how to fix it.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** This is my first time trying to write a proper Shameless fic, please let me know what you think. Hopefully you like it.

"What the fuck do you mean he's in Mexico?" Mandy Milkovich raged down the phone. She knew Mickey had done a runner, she knew all about it because her shithead of a brother got himself on the news, and in true Milkovich fashion it wasn't for anything heroic. She felt herself growing frustrated by this news, choosing not to get involved was the wrong thing to do. When the cops had come to question her about Mickey she had felt paranoid that they were there investigating something she had done, she nearly avoided being arrested for cussing them out, making a scene that she now felt embarrassed over.

Iggy wasn't entirely sure why his younger sister was having so much trouble believing the words that fell from his lips. He had simply told her what he had heard on the grapevine, the grapevine being Ian when he ran into him in a 7-Eleven a few days ago. The red head had acted as if he didn't recognise him at first, but Iggy made sure he remembered real quick. "I mean he and his boyfriend drove across the fucking country, and he drove straight over the border," Iggy explained to her again, although he hadn't mentioned the Ian part yet, he wasn't so good at relaying information, always seemed to miss out important details.

"Ian's in Mexico?" She asked breathlessly as she tried to piece it all together. She didn't know how the two of them could be so stupid, she would kill the both of them if she ever saw them again, tear them apart with her own two hands.

"Nah, he ditched Mick because even he knew how fucking dumb that shit was. Fucking asshole, why'd he even leave the joint in the first place?" Iggy pondered out loud. He didn't know if he should be offended that his brother skipped town without telling him, or if he was impressed by how flawlessly it had gone down. If anybody could pull off an escape like that, it would be Mickey.

"So he's alone in a foreign country? Shit." She shook her head and sat down on the end of her bed, she needed a minute to process all of this. It was too much to take in and she hated that Iggy was the person she had to hear it from, knowing him he had probably been sitting on this information for a while, twat didn't have good judgment when it came to urgency.

"Yup. Probably got himself into trouble already, fucking dumb shit." Iggy laughed, he was sitting on the couch in the Milkovich living room. He had been living there the last few months on his own, with his father still in the joint, and Mickey away on his Mexican vacation, it was his own private castle and he was quite happy keeping it that way.

"I have to call Ian, okay? I'll call you back." She assured him, ending the phone call before Iggy had a chance to tell her he didn't care if she called back or not. He shrugged his shoulders and set his phone down next to him, picking up his bag of Cheetos instead.

Ian didn't know who he expected it to be when his phone started buzzing in his pocket. He had only walked through his front door when Mandy's phone call came through. The first reaction he had was to feel happy, he had been thinking about her a lot lately, he still considered her to be his best friend, even though things hadn't been the greatest between them lately, he hadn't talked to her months and didn't make an effort to change that. "Mandy, I was just thinking about calling you." He lied, trying to make up for him being a shitty friend lately. To be fair she didn't live locally anymore and they both lived pretty busy lives.

Mandy wasn't in the mood for a catch-up, she didn't know how Ian didn't see it coming if he went blabbing to Iggy he had to know that she would find out eventually. "Oh yeah? Like you were thinking of calling me when you almost left the country with my felon brother?" She asked him, feeling fucking annoyed with him. She felt anger towards Mickey mostly, for ruining his whole life, leaving her behind, leaving all of them. She thought that he could have easily proved himself behind bars, tried to get out another way. He could never come back from this and it made her feel like he had ripped her heart out. He deserved more than this life, he was too stupid to see it.

Ian's face fell when he heard her words, his heart started to throb in his chest, he felt sick in his stomach and for some reason, he didn't see it coming. He shot up the stairs and locked himself in his room to avoid being overheard. "I can explain." He said softly, closing his eyes as he sat down on the end of his bed. It wasn't like he had purposely set out to keep her out of the loop, it was one of the hardest decisions he's ever made in his life, the decision to change his life forever, or to try to keep it the same at the expense of his relationship with Mickey. He still didn't know if he made the right choice, he didn't know if Mickey was safe, or if he would ever see him again.

Mandy let out a bitter laugh, she loved Ian, she really did but this hurt her in a way that she didn't even know how to describe. She didn't want to know all of the details, didn't know what she would do with them if she did hear them. "Fuck Ian, do you know how much trouble you could have been in?" She asked, finally allowing herself to breathe. She knew that this wasn't something he took lightly, she knew how much Ian loved her brother, he would have to or he wouldn't do something stupid so willingly. "If I was closer I would punch you in the fucking face." She told him, although her voice didn't have the threatening tone she was hoping it would.

"I'd probably let you," Ian said meekly. He knew that things could have been handled better, he knew that it would have been different if he had just visited more often, given Mickey hope that things would be okay. He couldn't carry all of the blame, it wasn't his fault that Mickey escaped prison, but he still felt some guilt for not helping him find a better option. He laid awake at night hoping that his lover had found some kind of peace, or that he would. He came so close to throwing everything away, leaving his family behind for some kind of life where he had to rely on himself alone, he couldn't fall back on his family as a safety net if things with Mickey went south. He was scared, he was still scared of needing them too much.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me," Mandy said in an equally as quiet tone. She knew parts of her were being selfish, being upset over how this all affected her. Her favourite sibling had vanished and she couldn't handle it because of what it did to her life. She used to send him letters in prison, postcards, but he never wrote back, she wasn't even sure if he received them.

"What the fuck was I meant to do Mands? Text you, oh, by the way, Mickey made me a fugitive for a day and then I ditched him at the Mexican border. It's not something I'm proud of." He sighed, rubbing his frustrated eyes with one of his fists.

"I don't know." She told him earnestly. It wasn't a situation she had found herself in, so it was hard to come up with an answer. She just kept thinking about Mickey being there all alone. He's never been alone for long, always seemed to be able to find people who were willing to be loyal, willing to do anything for him. She didn't know how he did it but he did. "I still don't know how this is real." She said with a small sigh. It was so hard thinking about it, she had to pinch herself sometimes as a reminder that this was her life, this was all real.

"You're telling me," Ian said with his own sigh. He felt the same way at several points in his life but each time he just had to bring himself back, look at how fucking messed up things had been in the past and hope that they got better again soon.

"Ian. I'm coming home." Mandy told him after a moment of silence fell over them on both sides of the line. She didn't have anything to lose, she didn't have anything to leave behind. No matter where she went, she'd always find work, that's what happened in her business. She needed to be around her family, and that included Ian. "I don't know when, but I'll see you soon. Okay?"

Ian didn't have a chance to respond, because for the second time that day Mandy didn't wait for one.


	2. Chapter 2

Iggy noticed it straight away, the whole street did. Nobody drove fancy cars on this side of town, not unless they wanted it to be trashed. He was sitting on the front porch, cigarette burning in between his fingers. His little sister was the last person he expected to see emerging from the expensive car. She wasn't the driver, but it didn't make it any less weird to see her dressed all nice, stepping out onto the litter covered curb with a suitcase dragging behind her.

"The fuck are you doing here?" Iggy called out from where he was still sitting. He wasn't the type of guy who would get off his ass to help his younger sister with her bags. Mandy tilted her sunglasses down as she paused at the bottom of the stairs. "You obviously can't survive without me." She said sarcastically, looking around the front lawn. It was never in great shape, to begin with, but it looked really out of control now that nobody else was home to maintain it.

Iggy rolled his eyes dismissively, he didn't think he needed to share his house with anyone else, especially Mandy who had skipped town a while back, years ago. He hardly recognised her until she started walking in the front yard like she owned the place, which she kind of did, but that wasn't the point. He stood up and wiped his hands on his jeans before tossing the cigarette butt on the ground, snuffing it out with the heel of his sneaker.

Mandy followed him inside and immediately plugged her nose with her fingers. "Who died in here?" She asked, voice nasally as she spoke. Iggy shrugged his shoulders and continued walking through to the kitchen. He didn't notice the smell because he had been living in the filth for so long. He watched as his younger sister moved around the house to open windows, gagging each time she had to breathe in. He let out a small laugh as he cracked open a new beer from the fridge.

"Where is everyone else?" Mandy asked after walking through to get herself a drink. It was mid morning and she deserved any ounce of alcohol she could get her hands on. Her head had been a mess ever since Iggy called, she didn't know what to do with herself now that she knew what Mickey had done, what he was capable of doing. She wanted answers but he was a needle in a haystack, a Mexican haystack that was a lot harder to access than the city streets of Chicago.

"Rehab, prison, halfway houses, Mexico.." Iggy listed, he didn't know exactly where everyone was because none of them were very good at keeping in touch. Mandy was the only sibling he ever heard from and even then it was rare. He couldn't remember the last time one of his family members lived under his roof, but he was certain it had been Mickey and Svetlana who were long gone by now.

"Shit. I didn't think this place could get any more depressing than it was when I was living here." She commented. The house was dark and cold, and it felt soulless. She knew these four walls were haunted by ungodly memories but she still had many good ones stored away in her mind. This was the house she grew up in, the house she was born in, and the house she lost her virginity in. "How you been paying all the bills?"

Iggy walked over to the fridge and took out a container that was once used for butter. He pulled out a wad of cash that Mandy was certain that it had to be thousands of dollars right there in front of her eyes. "Been dealin'." He told her with a shrug. He wasn't stupid like his father or his brothers, he was better at not getting caught. He's been to juvie, didn't quite like the experience so he was determined to be careful this time, stay out of the joint for as long as possible.

Her fist wasn't as harsh as Mickey's would have been, but he still let out a sound of complaint when she'd hit him. He didn't need her judgement but there she was getting upset with him anyway. "The fuck was that for?" He asked her, still annoyed that she'd even come home. It hadn't been five minutes and she was already drinking his beer and attacking him for no reason.

"What happens when you get caught, you planning on leaving this house unattended for squatters?" She asked him in annoyance. Her brothers were all really stupid sometimes, but luckily for Iggy, he wasn't nearly as stupid as Mickey was being. He'd have to work real hard to beat Mickey for that title.

Iggy hadn't thought about things like that mostly because he didn't plan on getting caught. He was careful, knew when to lay low, he wasn't as stupid as everyone loved to make out. "I don't fucking know. What about you? When are you planning on getting caught for being a hooker?" He asked her in return.

"Oh fuck you. I'm not a hooker, I'm an escort there's a difference." She snapped at him. He could be a real asshole when he wanted to be, they all could.

He shrugged his shoulders because he didn't really know the difference, but his sister didn't look like any hooker he knew of, so maybe she knew what she was talking about.

Mandy left her older brother in the kitchen to mull over what she'd said. She wheeled her suitcase down the hall and pushed open the room that was once hers. It was still filled with a lot of her stuff, whatever she hadn't taken with her when she moved away. She set herself down on her untouched bed, she didn't know if anyone had lived in there when she was gone but it didn't feel like it. Her suitcase didn't need to be opened straight away, she had all the time in the world to get to it. All she wanted was a minute to herself to remember what it was like to have a home.

Her next stop was Ian's house. It was hours later when she decided she'd be better off if she went there before dark. Iggy was asleep on the couch when she walked past, farting up a storm which again made her want to gag. She knew that they needed some kind of harmony between them if they had any hope of coexisting but he was a pig and she didn't have to ignore that fact just yet. Nobody ever locked the front door so she closed it behind her and walked out into the afternoon sun.

It always felt strange walking in public now that she wore clothes with name brand labels, nobody looked down on her, it was the opposite of how she was treated when everyone acted like she was just a hood rat. People looked at her differently and she still couldn't work out whether or not she liked it. By the time she was walking in through the Gallagher's front yard, she had forgotten about everyone treating her differently and felt like her old teenage self. She didn't expect to see Debbie sitting on the couch bottle feeding an infant, or Lip sitting across from her reading a book.

"Mandy!" Debbie said excitedly, obviously shocked by her appearance. She knew then that Ian hadn't shared her homecoming news with any of them. She waved awkwardly before walking forward, leaning over the little girl to take in a better look at her. "She's adorable." She told her, offering Debbie a kind smile. Debbie nodded her head in agreement. "She is the cutest baby I've ever seen."

Lip folded the corner of his page over and set his book down carefully on the arm of the couch. "I didn't know you were back in town." He said to his ex-girlfriend. Mandy turned around and offered him a smile too. She didn't know what to say to him, only that she knew that things between them were so very far into her past that she didn't need to feel insecure about it anymore.

"Mickey escaped from prison, I guess it's as good as any time to come back." She said with an awkward laugh. The subject was still so strange to her, she didn't know how she was meant to feel, or if she could trust anyone with the details. Ian probably hadn't filled them in on his little adventure so she wasn't about to spill the beans either.

"You heard from him?" Lip asked as she sat down in the spot beside him. She tucked her leg over the other and shook her head. She wished she had, she wished her shithead brother at least gave her a warning or some kind of goodbye. It was pathetic how hurt she felt, she didn't want to let it get to her, it wasn't like Mickey owed her anything.

"Shit. Sorry Mands, I'm sure he's probably just laying low until the cops stop their manhunt. I don't know what the fuck I'd do if I was ever a fugitive." He was trying to be supportive but Mandy didn't think he was very good at it. She had to smile at Debbie's 'language!' complaint from the other side of the room though, it was good to be back in this house, even if it was to scold Ian for being an idiot.

"Ian's probably working, I can call him and find out when his shift is finished?" Lip offered, and Mandy simply nodded her head. She could wait all night if she had to. Ian Gallagher was on her shit list, she was going to see him today, no matter how long it took for him to get his ass home.


	3. Chapter 3

Ian hadn't expected Mandy to be in town so soon, and he really hadn't expected to walk into his living room to find her sitting there beside his older brother. She turned around to face him, her face was a reminder of how much he had missed seeing her around, but the guilt he felt for not telling her about Mickey overwhelmed him. "Fuck, I didn't think I'd see you so soon." He said breathlessly, dropping his bag on the floor to rush over to her.

Mandy wrapped her arms around his body, a hug that lasted longer than it should have, silence filled the air around them. It was Ian who pulled away first, Mandy took in a good look at him, he looked just like she remembered, maybe a little taller, a wiser, maybe. It was nice seeing his face even if she was upset with him.

Ian closed his bedroom door behind him. He sat down on his bed leaving room for Mandy to join him if she needed to. It was silent between them for a moment or so, neither one wanted to be the first to speak, Ian didn't know what the fuck he was meant to say, and Mandy didn't know where to start. She sat down beside him and tucked her legs up to make herself comfortable, Ian's limbs were sprawled out in various directions across from her. "What the fuck happened?" She asked quietly, eyes meeting his. Hers were filled with pain and confusion, and Ian's were filled with guilt and regret. It wasn't something he'd had to open up about yet. His family didn't know the details, Trevor didn't need to know any more than he already did, it was safer that way.

"Mickey happened." He said weakly, shrugging both shoulders as his eyes scanned the room. He didn't want to face her. He knew that Mickey was her brother, it was personal to her and if she'd hurt Lip, if she'd done anything with one of his siblings without telling him he would feel the same way. "Fuck Mandy, I don't even know what happened. He broke out to find me, or he broke out and wanted to find me. I didn't do this to him, he did this to me." He said with uncertainty. He knew that he didn't go and visit, he didn't show Mickey that he cared, but that didn't mean he had to break out and ruin their chances forever. What was in Mexico for him? Nothing, and now everything had gone to shit. He felt guilty when it came to Mandy's involvement, but he still held resentment towards Mickey for putting him in that position. He loved him, he would always love him, and that's why he needed to blame him, to make himself feel better.

Mandy's fist wasn't as harsh as Mickey's, but when it collided with his bicep he sure as hell felt it. "Don't give me that shit Ian." She said roughly. This wasn't some breakup or a cheating scandal, this was her brother being on the run in a foreign country, all alone. She didn't expect him to put his life on hold for Mickey, run away with him to abandon his family, but shit, she expected him to at least call her, tell her what the fuck happened. If she had known, then she would have gone with him. Mickey was probably perfectly fine on his own, but she still didn't think he deserved to be.

"I didn't ask him to do any of this." Ian defended, hand softly caressing the damage Mandy had caused on his arm. He was confident that she would have left a bruise, and maybe he deserved it, didn't stop it hurting though.

"He also didn't ask to go to prison." She pointed out. She knew most of what happened due to word of mouth. Mickey was shitty at keeping in touch, but her brothers all knew about what went down. A couple went to Mickey's hearing, and Svetlana had told her everything else she wanted to know. Her brother's ex-wife was very resourceful when she wanted to be, loved knowing everyone's business if it meant helping herself get ahead. "Do you know where he was going? Did he have some kind of plan? Fuck, Ian, my brother is so stupid." She shook her head in disbelief, Mickey had brains, but he also did things out of impulse, he probably had no idea what the fuck he was going to do across the border, but she knew he would find his feet eventually if he didn't it could end very badly for him.

"I have his last known phone number, he probably changed it by now but it's a start, right?" He lifted the corner of his mattress and pulled out a burner phone he'd kept hidden. He booted it up and scrolled through the menu to find the call log, he found Mickey's last calls. They were from weeks ago, he was almost certain that Mickey would have ditched the phone by now. Mandy took Ian's phone as soon as he held it out for her. She copied the contact into her address book and handed it back to him. She was going to find her brother, even if Ian wasn't willing to help her.

Ian's house wasn't her last stop, she stood outside of the Alibi Room, knowing Svetlana worked there. She hadn't spoken to the Russain in a while, but the last she'd checked Svetlana was running the place with Kev and V. When she walked through the front door, the place felt very different to the last time she'd been in. The decor had changed, the atmosphere made her feel almost unwelcome. She hardly recognised any of the patrons drinking in every corner of the room, all happy to be guzzling alcohol while Svetlana's cleavage gave their cocks something to be excited about. She walked over to the bar and set herself down on a stool. She didn't recognise the young girl who was tending bar, or the man who was clearing tables either. She had no idea what happened to Kev and V, but they were nowhere in sight.

"I get drink, first one free for family discount," Svetlana said from behind her, Mandy swivelled around on her chair, bright smile on her face when she finally saw a familiar face.

"Make it strong, I have a lot of shit on my mind." She said warmly, although Svetlana could tell that she really meant the words that spilt from her mouth. She walked around to the other side of the bar and grabbed Mandy a fresh glass.

"I run bar now." She told her ex-sister-in-law as she filled her glass with vodka, one of her favourites. She sat it down in front of her, leaning over so she could maintain a conversation.

"I can see that." Mandy nodded her head. She picked up her drink and took a sip through her straw. It was definitely strong, made her cough a little when it went down.

Svetlana smiled at her reaction and took the drink from her. She took a long sip and handed it back. "I hear about brother, he is gone now." She showed her best sympathetic face, although she had cut ties with Mickey a while ago and didn't have the same attachment to him that she once had. She could see how hard this was on Mandy who had proved her suspicions correct when her face changed. The younger Milkovich was obviously upset about Mickey's escape and disappearance, and maybe she wasn't involved with the Milkovich clan any longer, but she'd always had a soft spot for Mandy, the one Milkovich who showed her kindness from the start.

"Fucking Mickey, always keeping everyone on their toes." Mandy laughed before she downed the rest of her drink, she let out a sigh and slid the empty glass over to Svetlana again. "I should go home. I still have a lot of unpacking to do." She didn't, but this was her way of letting Svetlana know that she was back in town for good this time.

Svetlana didn't say anything until Mandy was on her feet. "You want to see nephew, I bring him one day." She offered, and Mandy simply nodded her head. She offered the Russian a smile before she left. This wasn't exactly the homecoming she had expected, but when had anything she expected ever come true?


	4. Chapter 4

The blood curdling screeches that filled Mandy's ears were enough to drive anybody completely wild. She couldn't figure out where the howling was coming from but in this neighbourhood anything was possible. She marched down the hallway, desperate for answers. Her older brother was sitting on the couch in his underwear rolling joints, and sorting through vials of prescription pills he had swiped. She rolled her tired eyes as she approached, smacking him on the back of the head. "How can you sit here while that fucking screaming is going on?" She asked him, still concerned that someone in their neighbourhood was being brutally murdered, that or their sexual fantasies involved a great deal of pain she didn't need to hear about.

"The chick two doors down is having a home birth." Iggy answered with a shrug. He didn't mind the noise, he already expected it to happen eventually, and it made him feel less alone hearing someone else in the neighbourhood awake at this hour of the night.

"Why the fuck would anybody do that?" Mandy questioned, toppling over the back of their couch so she could sit down. The idea of giving birth outside of a hospital was preposterous to Mandy, she barely wanted to partake in the miracle of life, and if she ever did start her own family, you could bet your fine ass that she would be doped up with every legal drug in the business, there was no fucking way she would be screaming from her living room in the middle of the night, baby ripping her apart without any drugs.

"I don't know." Iggy shrugged. It didn't cross his mind to ask, he didn't know anything about birth or babies, apart from having to help deliver Mandy when their mother didn't quite make it to the hospital, that was forever ago now twenty years had passed and his current involvement with vaginas was strictly for pleasure, definitely not for pro creation.

"How do you always know all of this shit? I swear you gossip more than the little old lady on the end of the street." Mandy smiled, nudging her knee against his.

"I fucked her sister the other day; she told me all about it afterwards." He answered. He wasn't offended by Mandy's comments, he realised that he really did seem to stumble across all kinds of information accidentally, it was his specialty.

Mandy paused, of course he did. Her brother couldn't hold onto a girlfriend even if he wanted to. He was a free spirit, didn't like being tied down to anybody or anything, with the exception of maybe the drug business he seemed to always come back to. He didn't always deal, but when he did he was resourceful. She admired that, even though she thought he was stupid. Their family history with drugs was enough to turn her off the drug business herself, the cops were always sniffing around anybody with their surname; they got off on sending them to the big house.

The wailing continued through their silence, Iggy passed a freshly rolled blunt over to his younger sister, she took it without a word, even if that woman didn't want any drugs to get through her birth, Mandy sure did.

It wasn't until the next morning that Mandy finally found the courage to call the phone number Ian had given her. She was sitting at the breakfast table, bowl of cereal in front of her. She didn't know how old the box was but she could taste how stale it was with every unsatisfying bite. She had no idea how Iggy survived this long on his own, he probably didn't know how to find a grocery store and she was certain that she hadn't seen any toothpaste in the bathroom either. The number was on her screen, she didn't know what to expect but the nerves fluttered in her chest. If he didn't answer she would feel shattered, if he did, she wouldn't know what to say. She bit the bullet and pressed the phone up to her ear as it started to ring out. "C'mon Mickey," she whispered, fingers tapping nervously on the surface of the table. Her brother was pretty reliable with his phone, but that was before he had run away, maybe being a fugitive made him less inclined to pick up.

"Hola."

The voice on the other end startled the youngest Milkovich, it sounded just like her brother, and her heart beat was so loud in her chest like the whole world around her was silent in comparison. "Mickey?" She asked, still hoping this was real. She needed her brother to be safe; she needed to make sure that he was okay all alone out there.

"Don't call here again." Mickey said gruffly. The dial tone was deafening as it rung in her ear like a siren. Her brother was out there all alone and now she knew that he wanted to stay that way. Her chest begun to tighten, tears prickled her eyes like she'd just been stung by a cactus. Her heart couldn't accept this result; she couldn't admit to herself that he didn't want to be found. Mickey was out there and she needed him back in her life, she needed to find a way to reach him again, make him listen.

Mickey switched off his phone and stared across at the grey coloured wall across from him. He closed his eyes to prevent himself from tearing up. His little sister was out there thinking about him, he knew there was only one person who knew how to reach him, one person who could pass his number onto her. He picked up the cell phone and threw it clear across the room. He opened his eyes just in time to watch it smash against the floor, pieces of the keypad littered the floor, the screen had turned dark and he knew it was over. Mandy couldn't call again, and now Ian had no way of reaching him. It was for the best, they would get over it eventually.


	5. Chapter 5

Mandy never really understood the appeal of using a firearm; her brothers knew how to use a weapon at a very young age. She stood back watching as Iggy emptied bullets into a tin can that sat in their backyard. She took a sip from her beer, eyes following him as he walked across the grass to inspect the damage, he looked impressed and she couldn't work out why it wasn't like he needed any skill to shoot at something that wasn't moving. He walked back to where he was standing beforehand, he turned his head to face her, the gun sitting carefully in between his fingers. "You sure you don't want a turn?" He asked her, lit cigarette burning behind his ear. She shook her head and looked down at her bare feet. Mickey was still on her mind, the asshole hung up on her like she was some stranger or someone he wanted to avoid. She didn't like the feeling that pulsed through her soul. She was his sister, his one and only sister, and he just couldn't care less. She stood up and dropped her can down onto the back step carelessly. "Alright, give me a shot," she demanded, hand outright waiting for her older brother to pass the weapon over to her. Iggy didn't hesitate to hand it over. He knew she knew what she was doing, even if a gun wasn't her weapon of choice. Terry made sure she knew how to take care of herself, and what he didn't teach her, came from her never ending the supply of older brothers.

It didn't need to turn around to see the results. He could hear her hitting the can every time her finger pulled the trigger. He kept walking until he was inside, feet treading across the kitchen floor. It hadn't been washed in weeks but he didn't give a shit, nobody was around to keep the house in order lately, and Mandy had made it clear that she wasn't home to mother him. He kept walking until his face was inside the fridge, reaching in for another drink. Mandy walked in with a loud thud as the door hit the wall and she set the gun down on the kitchen table. "I have to go to work." She told him, voice void of any emotion, she had been acting fucking weird lately, he couldn't put his finger on it and he didn't really want to know in case it was her period. He just cracked open his can and took a sip. He'd see her later no doubt.

Her golden hair flowed past her shoulders when she tilted her head back, laughing at some lame joke that didn't make any sense. The man was older than her, probably as old as her father. She'd only met him once before this when she was on a date with one of his friends, who no doubt recommended her to him. She didn't know yet if she'd sleep with him, but he'd already paid for her lunch, the bill was no doubt going to set him back at least a C note. She would milk him for as much as she could, her wardrobe had downsized since moving back home and honestly she missed the walk in robe in her hotel suite. Mickey was long gone from her mind, her brother didn't want her in his life, so why the fuck would she want him in hers. When she made plans for this lunch date, the money was meant to be used for Mickey, but now it was going towards her new winter coat.

She let him kiss her afterwards; his old man breath tickled her nostrils when he pulled away. She offered him a warm smile, accepting his offer to go out again, even if she knew she could do so much better than him. She didn't feel like going home even if her instincts told her to go and wash off the stench of him. Her tummy was full, she looked fucking fantastic, and honestly, she really needed a drink. Svetlana was behind the counter when she walked in, her lips upturned at the sight of her favourite Milkovich. The Russian didn't need to be asked, she already had Mandy's drink ready for her at the bar. Mandy didn't hesitate before downing her first shot, giving her ex-sister-in-law a look that told her she wasn't satisfied with only one.

Svetlana waited until the blonde had downed three shots before she asked what was wrong. Mandy looked across at Tommy who was always so nosey. Svetlana shook her hand in his direction to tell her he wasn't important enough to be shy over.

"I called Mickey, mother fucker hung up on me." She said with a bitter chuckle. The alcohol burned on the way down, but she liked the feeling, it matched the way she was already feeling deep inside. She knew it was partially her fault. She left first, she ran off with her shitty boyfriend and never came home. She wasn't there when shit fell apart for him, or when he needed family the most. That ate away at her every time someone mentioned his name. A little girl in the street was wearing a Mickey Mouse shirt, and she wanted to throw up right there and then. Now she sat opposite the woman who was once married to him, someone who knew him, who lived with him like she had. Svetlana was the only person she could talk to about it. Ian was trying so hard to move on, Iggy didn't care enough, and Svetlana probably didn't care at all, but Mandy knew she would listen anyway. "I just want to fucking help him." She sighed, tapping her fingers against the bar, indicating she wanted more, and Svetlana knew she was good for it, any woman could tell just by what she was wearing.

"He is away now. He is not wanting to be here, but where he is, it is better than rotting in cell." Svetlana said to her, trying to offer some kind of comfort. Mickey was long gone, and that probably meant he was safe. He wasn't the only Milkovich to try and escape prison, but he was the only one who made it so far. She was impressed, even if it meant she no longer had a father for her son. V and Kev would no longer speak with her, and now she did not have Mickey as a backup in case something went wrong, and she could no longer be there for her Yevgeny.

Mandy shook her head and let out a softer laugh this time. "I know where he is. He just doesn't want me there." She told her, feeling all of her emotions bubble just below the surface. She didn't know why she cared so much when Mickey clearly didn't want to be found right now, but she was still determined to find him, even if she had decided to give up earlier. He was Mickey, and she didn't want this life for him. He was the one brother she expected more from, and right now he wasn't doing a very good job of being who she knew he could be.


End file.
